Neck-protector for draft-animals.



D. A. KENT.

NECK PROTECTOR FOR DRAFT ANIMALS APPLICATION FILED MAR. a, 1911.

1,056,342, Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

COLUMBIA PMNOGRAPH 60.,wAsHINGToN. D. 4

DAVID A. KENT,

STATEE or JEW'ELL,

IOWA.

NECK-PROTECTOR FOB DRAFT-ANIMALS.

Patented. Mar. 18, Serial No. 612,671.

To aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, DAVID A. KENT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jewell, in the county of Hamilton and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Neck-Protector for Draft-Animals, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a neck protector for draft animals which prevents all lateral friction of the harness or collar on the neck.

Many neck pads have been made heretofore, but all such pads which are secured to the collar move therewith and rub the neck. Pads which have been made to be used independent of the collar and not secured thereto, are subject to the objection that they have been likely to slip out from under the collar permitting the collar to rub on the neck.

Another object of my invention is to provide a neck protector of such form and construction that it will always fit in its proper place under the collar and that it will notslip forward or backward when the collar is in position. In other pads the downward draft presses upon a small area upon the top of the neck, causing soreness.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a device whereby the downward draft is distributed over a comparatively large area.

Another object of my invention is to provide a neck protector which serves as a pad and also as a housing to keep out water or the like.

My invention consists in certain details, in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a neck protector for draft animals embodying my device. Fig. 2 shows a rear view of the same.

In the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate the body portion of my device. The body portion 10 is made in duplicate to fit each side of the neck, and is made to extend from the central line at the top of the neck to the central line below the neck. The upper part of the body portion 10 is comparatively narrow, while the part which covers the shoulder where the tug is usually secured to the collar is made sufficiently broad to permit movement of the collar without allowing the protector to slip out from under the collar. The body portions 10 are cut to fit the right or left side of the neck, and their upper portions are approximately parallel to each other while the lower broader portions of each side are stretched or otherwise made to lie in planes forming acute angles with the said upper portions, so that the sides of the protector conform approximately to the contour of a horses neck. The body portions 10 are sewed or otherwise secured to each other at the top. I provide straps and buckles 11 and 12 near the lower end of the body portions 10 for fastening my neck protector, and also for permitting the variation in its sizes to correspond to variations in the sizes of the neck on which the protector is used. I make my neck protector in sizes corresponding to the ordinary sizes of collars. The buckles 10 and 11 are intended to permit regulation of the sizes only to a limited extent. I preferably cut the body portions 10 of such sizes that they will not quite touch each other at the lower end when fitted on a horse. Upon the lower faces of the body portions 10 at their upper end, I provide a broad pad 13 extending some distance downwardly on each side and extend ing forwardly and rearwardly from the portions 10.

In constructing the pad 13, I provide a slight upward curve near the forward end of said pad 13 to correspond to the shape of the horses neck. The pad 13 serves several purposes. By means of its ends which extend laterally from the body portions 10, movement of the lower end of said body portions 10 forwardly whereby the pad might slip out from under the collar is prevented. If the lower ends of the body portions 10 are moved forwardly away from the shoulders of the horse, the forward end of the pad 13 presses against the neck, and the weight of the lower portion of the neck protector serves as a power to draw the protector back into its proper position, the whole protector forming a lever which acts at a point in front of the portions 10, upon the neck of the horse as a fulcrum. The pad 13 also distributes the downward draft over a large area saving the neck from undue pressure at one point. Said pad also serves as a housing to protect the neck from water or the like. For the purpose of strengthening the neck protector and retaining its proper shape I provide a reinforcing sup port 15 at the upper ends the body portions 10 ettttending from side to side thereof, and secured thereto. 1 provide extensions 14: near the lows rear sides of the body portions oing back from said body portions said CXLGllSlODS serving as pads for the tugs and protecting the horse therefrom. l preferably make my neck protector or" lost with the use or the housing usually Worn over the top of the collar and third, I have provided a neck pad tor the collar to protect the horses neck and to dispense with l the use of the neck pad usually Worn under the top of the collar.

1 claim as my invention:

it neck protector for draft animals comprising right and left thick body port-ions designed to lit respectively the right and left sides of the neck and shoulder of a draft animal and to remain in place Without attachment to the collar, said body portions being comparatively narrow at the top and broad enough at the lower end to protect the shoulders 01 the draft animal from the collar during the ordinary movements of a collar WllOll in use a thick leather 1321C. secured to the upper ends oi said body portions, extending beyond them forwardly and rearwardly and designed to tit the top of a draft animals neck, said pad being composed of material of sutticient thickness and rigidity to spread the downward draft of a collar over surface materially greater than would be a'll ected in the collar alone.

Des hiloines, lovva, February 20, 1911.

DAVID A. KENT. Witnesses M. WALLACE, M. lmmnson.

Copies 01 this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, C. 

